Coating with e-tex

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by jerseystriper

Why does the CO2 matter?

It is primarily Co2 that pops the bubbles, the heat just helps to thin the epoxy a little to aid the process. Either a flame (which produces Co2) or your breath will do the trick.

[jerseystriper]

Originally Posted by JakeF

It is primarily Co2 that pops the bubbles, the heat just helps to thin the epoxy a little to aid the process. Either a flame (which produces Co2) or your breath will do the trick.

Thank you for that info

[bassfreak]

I have been given a Badger 250 airbrush as an X-Mas gift....I have a few blank plugs I want to try and paint and have decided on color patterns...all that is to decide is the following:

what kind of paint should I use for painting my blanks???......acrylic??...an oil based apint as it is more durable?.....Im thinking of the salt water enviroment..........acrylic seems weak ?...

Also what do you use to pre-seal your plugs prior to painting??....linseed oil>>????....how many coats should I apply....sand between coats.....??...

Oh yes....what is it you guys are using to create the scale look on the plugs??

thanks for any input

[jmdregs]

I'm a relative newby and recently used epoxies for the first time to top coat plugs. Two weeks ago I tried LocTite (Home Depot) 5 minute epoxy but the results were unsatisfactory due to the material clumping on many of the plugs giving them a somewhat lumpy texture. Last week I bough E-tex to try out and the results were great - perfectly smooth coating. I didn't use a torch, but opted for a heat gun which helped set up the epoxy with only minimum (5 mins or so) turning by hand.

[Roccus]

Originally Posted by jmdregs

I'm a relative newby and recently used epoxies for the first time to top coat plugs. Two weeks ago I tried LocTite (Home Depot) 5 minute epoxy but the results were unsatisfactory due to the material clumping on many of the plugs giving them a somewhat lumpy texture. Last week I bough E-tex to try out and the results were great - perfectly smooth coating. I didn't use a torch, but opted for a heat gun which helped set up the epoxy with only minimum (5 mins or so) turning by hand.

this is a good lesson for you... five minute epoxy is too fast setting, aside from that, it tends to yellow.... stick with epoxies with a minimum of an hours dry time... but remember this.. the longer the cure.. the more durable the product..

[CatchandRelease!]

I just e-texed my first plug.

I used 4 ounces of etex for one plug which I learned the hard way that it was way too much for one plug. If I just brush the e-tex on the plug the next time will the brush marks fade away as the e-tex cures ?

Is there a way to build a spinner that somebody can send me ?


thanks
Mark

[Sudsy]

4 oz on ONE ??

4 oz is enough for 20 average size plugs.
Etex is made to smooth itself out as it dries - no need to worry about brush marks.

Use the flip technique if you don't have a spinner. Hang it from something and flip it every 5 minutes for the first 20 minutes (+/-), then every 15 minutes for the next two hours.
I generally try to time plug drying to coincide with a baseball game.

[CatchandRelease!]

Thanks sudsy. Let's go Phillies !

[Mark P]

4 ounces is a ton let the plug cure for a couple of days and sand it down. re coat with maybe 2 cc's for a plug. When working with finishes it is a marathon not a race. Thin coats adhere better cure better and provide a more consistent end result. If you put on a thin coat and have dry spots, oh well coat it again.

[striper774]

Roc,thanks for the step by step.Followed it had no problem with the epoxy.I need to get more experience myself with my procedure but time will tell.

[Roccus]

Not a problem....glad it is of some help..

[kones]

has any of you builders tried diamond clear coat instead of e tex ? or perhaps another automotive type clear coat ? all i ever hear about is e tex & im curious as to why as there are several other brands & cure types.the diamond coat is very humidity sensitive,bubbles form if too moist & i need to apply 3 super thin coats but it is strong & did not yellow after 1 season.i want to try e tex after i use this up.btw my first plug that caught bass cost me about $1600 ! holy crap.now im tweaking my process & just trying to build the best i can.

[Roccus]

Originally Posted by kones

has any of you builders tried diamond clear coat instead of e tex ? or perhaps another automotive type clear coat ? all i ever hear about is e tex & im curious as to why as there are several other brands & cure types.the diamond coat is very humidity sensitive,bubbles form if too moist & i need to apply 3 super thin coats but it is strong & did not yellow after 1 season.i want to try e tex after i use this up.btw my first plug that caught bass cost me about $1600 ! holy crap.now im tweaking my process & just trying to build the best i can.

I've tried several things ( as I may have posted before) never diamond coat...I make my prototypes coated in just plain lacquer... after just a few hours of fishing they develop severe hook rash.. they remind me of how good i've got it now with e-tex.... I've got plugs I coated with e-tex several years and 100'ds of fish latter that barely show any wear... I've got the e-tex process refined so it is flawless with no snags.. it endures well and is cost effective for me... I really have no reson to change...

[Zoo]

What about using Flexcoat as top coating ?

[Sudsy]

Flexcoat tends to yellow quite a bit and do it fairly quickly.
After it ages for a few years the shock of bouncing it off a rock makes it crack and peel, much more then Etex

If you get the Etex using one of those 40% off coupons from the big box craft stores, it's much cheaper then Flexcoat - also works great for rod building. Goes on clearer and stays clearer. I've done a number of rods with Etex and although Threadmaster is my favorite, If I'm out of that I'll go to Etex without hesitation before using Flexcoat.